A History of the Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons

As the Excelsior Surgical Society continues to grow and excel, it is important that we always remember the past. Military Medicine has in recent times been well supported by creating opportunities for professional growth to ensure much-needed research opportunities, sharing of experiences, and a shared sense of purpose and camaraderie. The US Army had the Gary P. Wratten Society, while the US Air Force had the Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons (SAFCS), which was the longest-standing military surgical society in the United States. The following is a brief history of the SAFCS adapted from the address of Col Larry Fontenelle, historian, presented on April 4, 2000.

Figure 1. Col Larry Fontenelle, Past President/ Historian, Presenting at Annual Meeting 2001.

The US Air Force Medical Service with Major General Malcolm C. Grow as its first Surgeon General was established on July 1^st, 1949. In 1950, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, a small group of surgeons gathered to discuss aspects of surgery and medicine within the Air Force Medical Corps and how to better impact decisions by the Surgeon General. They felt a Surgical Society would help in this endeavor, and wanted this society to eventually become a Chapter within the American College of Surgeons.

Nearly ten years later, the first formal meeting of the SAFCS was held in 1958 at Lackland Air Force Base under the direction of the first SAFCS president, Brigadier General Robert E. Lee. General Lee played an important role in promoting the policies and ideals of this great surgical society while on active duty and during retirement. The greatest honor that SAFCS could present to General Lee was during the 1963 symposium when membership unanimously voted to establish the annual Robert E. Lee Memorial Lectureship.

A few officers deserve the title “Founding Fathers” of the SAFCS; Colonel David Gold, Colonel Oakley Park, Brigadier General Don S. Wenger, Colonel Julian Jarman, Brigadier General James P. Jernigan, and Major General James W. Humphreys. SAFCS was organized for the following goals:

To promote excellence in surgery within the United States Air Force and to develop guidelines for surgical training.
To act as a platform for presenting papers at local and national
To serve as an important part of maintaining a fraternal relationship among the various surgical specialties and therefore get to know one another as people rather than names on records.
To keep an update on what fellow surgeons are doing throughout the Air
To give surgeons a forum to advertise the very special qualities of surgical practice in the United States Air Force to civilian colleagues and
To discuss mutual problems and develop common
To exert some influence on the Surgeon General's Office in an effort to obtain required support personnel, facilities, money, and ideals.

In 1959, great strides were made by the Society to obtain travel funds from the Surgeon General's Office for those individuals attending and participating in the Annual Meeting which became available in 1960. Over the 54 Years of annual meetings, a vibrant culture existed showcasing papers by surgeons from major medical centers as well as small bases. Each meeting allowed the Air Force Leadership to understand the issues in the field. The communications were essential to serve the needs of the Retired and Active-Duty population, and camaraderie was enhanced in the process.

Figure 2. Air Force Surgeon General Murphy A. Chesney honors Major General James Humphreys with the start of the Humphreys Fund in his name. Annual meeting 1989. MG Humphreys served as Executive Director of the American Board of Surgery for over 20 Years.

In 2011, the Society faced difficulty in obtaining monetary support resulting in significant difficulty in achieving meeting quorums. While the last full meeting of the SAFCS was held in 2012 in San Antonio, the Board of Governors continued to meet for several years working with Army and Navy colleagues searching for a way forward for a military surgical society in an era plagued with military cost-cutting and travel restrictions. It was felt the best way to achieve the goals of the SAFCS, was to pursue becoming a chapter of the American College of Surgeons. With the implementation of the Military Health System Strategic Partnership with the American College of Surgeons (ACS), a truly Tri-Service society was created with the re-establishment of the Excelsior Surgical Society, with its first meeting in Chicago during the 2015 ACS Clinical Congress.

To continue to grow the Excelsior Surgical Society, the American College of Surgeons will support a reunion of past SAFCS members during the Boston Clinical Congress in October 2023. Col Letch Kline, prior President, and Historian of the SAFCS, will organize the reunion, and a booth with photos and documents of past meetings. Our hopes are that we can recruit past SAFCS members to provide mentorship enhancing the leadership within the new Excelsior Surgical Society. Look for a future ACS Bulletin announcement with the SAFCS Reunion details. Please put it on your calendar and we will see you next year!

**Future newsletters will include historical vignettes on the Gary P. Wratten Army Surgical Society, Navy surgical professional organizations, or their members. Please contact the Secretary of the Excelsior Surgical Society if you have photos and/or stories to share on these historically significant organizations.